Last month, the need to replace my faithful old black car – and the dearth of any more colourful ones in my price range – inspired me to write about car colours in my column for the July/August double edition of the Tetbury Advertiser.
When did British car buyers become so dreary? Shopping for a second-hand car to replace my defunct Fiat Panda, I’m astonished to find the choice of colour so limited.
Admittedly, my Panda was black, which made its boxy shape reminiscent of a classic London taxi, much to my delight. But in the past, I’ve driven a pillar-box red MG Metro, burgundy and pine-green Renault 5s, and a forest green Rover something-or-other whose name escapes me.
So after nine years with a black car, I was contemplating something more colourful. A soft green or mauve would look prettier parked outside my Cotswold stone cottage, while yellow would delight anyone playing the Yellow Car travel game (shout ‘Yellow Car’ when you spot a yellow car).
Any of these colours would also make my car easier to spot in a car park.
Choosing to support a local long-established family firm of car dealers inevitably limited my choice of make and model, but I hadn’t expected the colour range to be so narrow: black, white or grey.
In the Olden Days…
Back in the 1990s, when I worked as a PR consultant, I was pleased to make national headlines about colourful cars. “Nation’s drivers prove patriotic” was the gist of the story, sharing my client’s research that red, white and blue cars were most popular with its customers.
Yet in 2023, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, over two-thirds of two million new registrations were for grey, black, or white cars, only 11,800 for yellow, and a pitiful 210 for pink.
Hard evidence is everywhere. Next time you’re driving on a motorway, you’ll notice almost all the cars are black, white or grey. When no-one’s using their indicators or brake lights, against the tarmac background, the traffic looks like black-and-white film footage.
What has happened to turn our tastes monochrome?
Is the about-face an indicator of tough times, like the rise and fall of hemlines in line with the strength of the economy? Might the results of the British election lead to a revival of more colourful cars?
In the end, I plumped for a steel grey Citroen C1. (Don’t get me started on unimaginative car names.) The monotony of the grey exterior was slightly relieved by a thin red stripe in the upholstery, so I christened the car Poppy, so that at least its name is colourful.
Then yesterday, I had a welcome surprise. Getting out of my car in bright sunshine, I noticed that the grey metallic paint, viewed through my polarised prescription glasses, sparkles with thousands of tiny dots in all the colours of the rainbow. Perhaps I should rename it Joseph, after he of the coat of many colours.
Now all we need is a sunny summer to allow me to repeat the experience.
Whether you’re planning a staycation this holiday season or sun-seeking further afield, I wish you a wonderful summer.
Sophie Sayers’ Colourful Car
I had fun choosing a colourful car for Sophie Sayers when she learns to drive in Driven to Murder, the latest addition to my cozy mystery series about her. When she passes her test after an eventful series of lessons with a multitude of instructors, she treats herself to a bright Fiat Panda in “Sicilian Orange”, as whoever dreams up the paint names at Fiat has christened it. As events turn out, it’s just as well she rejects the salesman’s suggestion of a subtle green to blend in with the landscape… but you’ll have to read the book to find out why!
The ebook of Driven to Murder is currently just 99p on Amazon UK, and I’m guessing similar prices worldwide (my publisher sets the prices for my novels, which is why I’m not sure) It’s also available in paperback, hardback and audiobook – so however you prefer to enjoy your summer reading, there should be a format to suit you!